When you think about flying, you think 9 bags Holy Cow! That is so much room. But when you think about the fact that you are moving to another country with a 3 year old it is so hard. The last time we moved we had a 20' uhaul! Now we have 9 suitcases and 6 carry-ons. We have already sold just about everything we own. It is so hard to look at the house and think that I still have so much to try to fit into the suitcases. I have filled 8 bags to just below 50 lbs each. There is no way that I'm going to fit the rest of our clothes, dvds, shoes and a couple of Emma's stuffed animals into that bag. I am pretty much going to have to start over and eliminate more items. 2 suitcases are full of toiletries and food items for several months. We were told that things are lower quality and more expensive so we should bring stuff with us.
In the Bible, it talks about leaving everything behind and going where God calls you. We are trying to do that. The absence of materialism is one of the things that draws us to Africa. We don't want our children to grow up with a sense of entitlement. We want them to serve others first. I guess this is the first step toward that.
So, hopefuly Wednesday will be the day that the puzzle is solved. I think we are going to have to eliminate some of the mac and cheese and brownie mixes. Maybe just the mac and cheese. I'm really going to need a good brownie by the time we get there!
What about pouring the contents of the mac-n-cheese boxes into ziploc baggies? There's so much air in the box, it would at least help you pack more in terms of space, although obviously weight might still be an issue....just an idea that came to mind :)
ReplyDeleteWhat about using the space bags to put your clothes and stuff animals in. Check it out at spacebag.com. This would allow you to shrink everything and maybe eliminate some of the weight as well. It would also give you something to store your clothes in while you are over there and maybe keep out the bugs. Just a thought.
ReplyDeleteOk, I don't want to be too advice-y.... but we moved to India with a child for over a year, and also didn't have "help" from our job as far as shipping stuff. We fit everything into suitcases, so I feel your pain!
ReplyDeleteA few things that worked for us: Be careful of space bags. They make SO MUCH room that you'll hit 50 pounds and only have half your suitcase filled :)
We did, however, decide that instead of paying for extra bags, we would pay to make each of our six bags 70 pounds. Less to cary, and I think it worked out to be a little cheaper. Where we did almost get screwed (so watch out for this) is in baggage fees. There were different charges for our international legs and our domestic legs. Call and double check and triple check and try to get in writing from each airline what they will charge you - especially if you're flying on more than one airline!
As far as food goes, this is what I found. There was no way to actually pack enough brownie mixes, bisquik, etc. to get me through. (I still tried though!). I ended up LOVING the adventure of making everything from scratch, but wished I'd known what INGREDIENTS as opposed to products I would need. Examples in my situation were brown sugar, chocolate chips, baking powder, cream of tartar, familiar spices, etc. With google as my friend, I could find recipes for almost everything I missed from home, including chili cheese burritos from taco bell :)
Just what I learned. Have a blast! What an adventure! Let me know if you want more info.
I'm thinking about you all the time, Jeana! This is such an adventure! I wish I could help you, but I sure am excited for you. If we lived closer, I'd bring over enough brownies to at least get you through the packing stage. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tips. I have lots of space saver bags but the weight seems to be the bigger issue. Our suitcases are not that big but they get to 50lbs in no time at all. We have taken everything out of the packaging and used zip locks and tupperware containers (that way i can have a few there) Our carry ons are stuffed with books, laptops, cameras, activities for Emma, paperwork, etc. This morning we cleared out a few boxes worth of stuff and took it to the storage unit so that we could have more room to think and less clutter. I know it will all work out it just looks like a lost cause at the moment. I think having a day away from it will help.
ReplyDeleteSusie-thanks for the tips! I'm mostly trying to take things like pudding, jello, spices, dry ranch, dry italian, ketchup packets, chocolate chips, brown sugar, stuffing for Thanksgiving and Christmas, dried blueberries, etc. Mostly things for Emma to ease into the food transition and give us a treat now and then. It is still really hard. The toiletries are what weigh so much. they told us to bring stuff because it is so expensive in kigali and poor quality. I am trying to cut some out and have more shipped to us later when we start to run low. Keep the tips coming!